Q&A: Network Update, Bird Flu, Cultural Awareness, ....

Topics included:

• Network update
• Bird flu
• Unhcr & accountability
• Development myths
• Cross-cultural awareness
• Packaging of aid 

Network Update

Welcome back to the Exchange

Aid Workers Exchange is a regular knowledge-sharing bulletin for field staff in relief and development. For the moment, Aid Workers Exchange will be in a "Q&A" format. We start this week with five new questions, and will summarise responses in future editions. You can get involved in the discussion on our Forum, or by emailing exchange@aidworkers.net.

Forum clean up

The Aid Workers Network Forum has had a Spring clean. We have created many new threads to reflect better what you were talking about. The Forum also has new Posting Guidelines to keep discussions relevant to relief and development. Visit the Forum Community Centre and let us know what you think:

http://oldforum.aidworkers.net/messages/30319/30319.html

Web site

A lot of work has gone into improving the Forum and technical base. Over the next few weeks we plan to make some updates and improvements to the rest of the site. A future issue of Aid Workers Exchange will let you know when this is done.

New Questions

Bird Flu

Carrol Beaver is working in SE Asia on a model farm project, and is looking for a practical grassroots protocol to explain to the person on the street how tohelp stop the spread of bird flu. Can you help out?
http://oldforum.aidworkers.net/messages/116/33334.html

UNHCR & Accountability

Graham Wood asks if a new report about UNHCR in East Africa is fair in its assessment that UNHCR is directly violating the rights of refugees. Do you agree?
http://oldforum.aidworkers.net/messages/142/33327.html

Rumours and myths interfering with relief and development

Jayne Cravens is collecting examples of myths and rumours that interfere with aid and development efforts, and is also looking for recommendations for how to prevent or address them. Post your example here:
http://oldforum.aidworkers.net/messages/124/33350.html

Cross-cultural awareness

Tom Longley wonders what you would tell people about cultural etiquette in your own country, or the places you've visited. Want to help compile country-specific crash courses to help orientate new arrivals? Post your suggestions here:
http://oldforum.aidworkers.net/messages/116/33372.html

The packaging of Aid

Chris Kay is designing a new form of packaging for emergency relief items, with a view to improving space/weight efficiency and perhaps even allowing the packaging to perform a secondary function after its arrival. Can you offer him some pointers?

http://oldforum.aidworkers.net/messages/140/33373.html

Aid Workers Exchange 14-OCT-05 ISSN 1478-5137